


Graduation Day

by poeticgrace



Category: Degrassi, Degrassi the Next Generation, Degrassi: Next Class
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:35:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23420293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poeticgrace/pseuds/poeticgrace
Summary: Miles surprises Tristan twelve minutes before his graduation.
Relationships: Miles Hollingsworth III & Tristan Milligan, Miles Hollingsworth III/Tristan Milligan
Comments: 3
Kudos: 29





	Graduation Day

**Author's Note:**

> For the purpose of this story, Tristan graduated with the Class of 2017 due to the bus accident.

“Your tassel is crooked.”

Tristan peaked up from beneath the blue mortarboard hat. It had been almost a month since he had heard that voice and a year since he had looked into those beautiful green eyes. 

“Fix it for me? I have to be out there in twelve minutes.”

Miles smiled softly as he stepped forward into Tristan’s personal space. He carefully adjusted the yellow tassel with a murmured, “There you go.”

They gazed at each other for a moment longer. “Miles,” Tristan exhaled. “What are you doing here?”

The slightly taller man tucked his hands into his pockets. He couldn’t help but stare at Tristan. It had been far too long since he’d been able to do it. Things had been so up in the air when he had left Degrassi for London, and while he hadn’t regretted his choice for even a minute, he had regretted that he’d had to leave a few things behind.

“I had to see you graduate, Tris,” he smiled. “I am so proud of you.” Miles took a step back but extended the intimacy by running his hands down Tristan’s forearms until they were holding hands. He knew he didn’t have the right to be like this with Tristan, but standing here like this, he couldn’t imagine being any other way or in any other place. “You worked so hard to get here. Look at you. You’re amazing.”

“Yeah, the scars really healed up nicely, eh?”

“You know that’s not what I mean.”

Tristan blushed under Miles’ watchful gaze. “You’re looking pretty fine yourself,” he complimented back. “London agrees with you.”

“It’s not London.”

“Miles…”

“Tris, I miss you so much. London has been amazing, don’t get me wrong. I’ve met so many cool people and I love my program. But it’s never felt complete because I always knew that a part of me was missing. I kept trying to find it in these nameless girls in dive pubs because the thought of letting any guy that isn’t you touch me made my stomach turn.”

Tristan squeezed Miles’ hands reassuringly. “It’s been hard for me too.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he replied honestly. “After last year, after _everything_ , you deserve only good things. I’m sorry that I didn’t give you that before.”

“You tried.”

“All I did was hurt you, Tris,” Miles shot back. “I said horrible things to you. I _cheated_ on you! And yet, you can stand here and see all of the good things in me. You refused to stay with me because you saw it as holding me back from my dreams. You believed that I could do this program when even I wasn’t sure. You always believed in me.”

“I loved you when you couldn’t love yourself, and that will never go away,” Tristan promised. Miles had come along at a time in his life when he had needed that. After the whole mess with Grant, the rich boy was what had saved him. They had saved each other. “And the thing is, the thing that no one really seemed to get, was that you did the same for me. You never judged me for my mistakes with Yates. You stayed by my side when I was nothing more than a vegetable. And yeah, okay, you made a mistake, but Miles, babe, you more than made up for it. You helped me get better. I can honestly say I wouldn’t be here had it not been for your support.”

Tears twinkled in Tristan’s beautiful eyes. They were unabashed and honest. Miles reached up to wipe one away gently, only for it to be quickly replaced by another. “Don’t cry.”

“Weirdly, they’re happy tears. You’re not the only one who’s proud here.”

Miles ducked his head, smiling that boyish smile of his as he rubbed at the back of his neck absently. “It rained like three days ago. It was this really intense storm, which never really happens in London. I was sitting in my dorm studying for finals when the power went out. Thunderstorms always remind me of you, and I knew that I had to come home. I had to see you.”

“And your finals?”

“Aced them yesterday morning and took the red eye here. Came straight from the airport. I decided that we’d waited long enough.”

“Long enough for what?”

“For this,” he murmured before leaning forward and capturing Tristan’s mouth in a kiss. It was terribly cliche and wholeheartedly welcome. Miles cradled Tristan’s alabaster cheeks in his long fingers. Tristan’s hands rested on Miles’ chest, not caring for once if it wrinkled his outfit. They were both shaking as they pulled apart, their foreheads instantly meeting between them. The tears had returned to Tristan’s eyes, this time falling twice as quickly. “Oh, baby.”

“I know, I know, I’m always so emotional.”

“Don’t ever change it.”

Tristan laughed as he stepped back and smoothed out his gown. He then wiped away the tears and ran his fingers through his short hair. “I have to give a valedictorian speech in six minutes, and now my eyes are going to be all red.”

“Sorry—”

“Worth it,” Tristan reassured him. He leaned forward and pecked Miles’ lips quickly. “So, so, so worth it.” 

“Look, I know you have to go give this speech and you probably have plans after, but I’d really like to see you tomorrow to catch up. We could have breakfast or lunch or dinner or whatever you want.”

“And what about all three?”

“If I’m lucky enough to have you…”

Tristan grinned. “And after tomorrow? What are your plans for the rest of the summer?”

“Well, that’s kind of up to you. I could go back to London and work all summer…or I could stay here for the next couple months and hang out with you until we both have to go back to school.”

“You can’t put that on me.”

“Well, then why I don’t tell you what I want?”

“And that is…?”

“I’ve really missed Toronto,” he replied. “And by Toronto, I mean you.”

“Well, I’ll here all June and July, so I suppose we could spend some time together,” Tristan allowed. “But I’ll be leaving for university at the beginning of August. You’ll probably want to make plans to go back to London then.”

“Or I could take you to your university and leave after.”

Tristan bit his bottom lip. “See, that’s the thing.”

“You don’t want me to come with you? Afraid I’ll ruin your chances before you even start?”

“Actually, the thing is, I’m actually not going to stay in Canada.”

“Headed to the states?”

Tristan grinned as he shook his head. “Not exactly.”

“Stop dragging this out.”

“Have you ever heard of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art?”

“Tris, baby, you didn’t.”

“I auditioned with a recruiter over winter break,” Tristan confirmed. “I got accepted. I have to go early to take private classes as part of the terms of my scholarship. Full ride, can you believe it?”

“You’re going to be in London,” Miles breathed out. It was his turn to cry. “Does that mean…”

“It means,” Tristan confirmed. “I told you last spring I wasn’t going to say goodbye to you. I want to try again. I want to be with you.”

“I want to be with you too.”

The two of them got lost in another kiss. In fact, the rest of the world pretty much ceased to exist in that moment. It was only when Mr. Simpson burst into the room with an annoyed, “Mr. Milligan, we’ve been looking for you everywhere,” that they pulled apart. 

“So I should probably go do this thing,” Tristan said sarcastically, rolling his eyes for dramatic effect.

“Yeah, suppose you should,” Miles agreed. “Look for me fifth row back, next to the nerdy Asian kid with the black glasses.”

“Oh, yeah, how is Winston?”

“Already trying to figure out how he can scam another trip across Europe off of me.”

“Well, he’ll have to wait, you’re mine this summer.”

Mr. Simpson stuck his head back into the room just as the alarm went off on Tristan’s phone, indicating that it was almost show time. “Mr. Milligan. Seriously. Now.”

The two of them started toward the door when Miles stopped Tristan short. 

“No, Tris, I’m yours always.”

_Fin._


End file.
